Starting-electrode for vapor electric apparatus.



S. W. FARNS-WORTH, D. E. CARPENTER & L. E. FROST.

STARTING ELECTRODE FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 19M.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

s E s s rr. N H W fami To aZZ whom t may concern cation.

SIDNEY W. FARNSWORTH, 0F PITTSBURGH, 'DAVID E. CARPENTER, OF WILKINSBURG,

AND LESLIE E. FROST, F PITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTING- HUSE ELECTRIC .AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY. A CORPORATION 0F PEINTIWSYII';-

VANIA.

Specica'tion of Lettera Patent.

Patented Nov.. 9,1915.

Application filed February 5, 1814. Serial No. 818,810.

Be it known that we, SIDNEY W. FennewonTH, DAVID E. CARPENTER, and LESLIE E. FROST, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, and Pittsburgh, in the-county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting-Electrodes for Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a. specifi- Our invention relates to vapor electric apparatus, such 'as current rectiliers and lamps, and it has particular reference to starting or keeping-alive electrodes for metal ca rectifiers of large capacity.

One object of our invention is to provide a. starting electrode which may be quickly and readily adjusted from the exterior oi the casing.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for preventing disengagement between the electrode and its supporting and adjusting means.

In the accompanying drawingY` Figure 1..

is a vertical sectional view showing a portion of a metal case rectifier equipped with our improved starting electrode, and F ig. 2 is an elevational view showing a detail of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing,

a portion of a casing 1 of a rectifier is shown surrounded by a spaced jacket 2. The casing carries around its upper edge a lange 3 to which a heavy metallic cover 4 is secured in anyy suitable manner. A collar 5 is screwed into the cover 4 and surrounds an opening 6 in the cover in which a porcelain bushing 7 is seated, the cover and the bushing being provided with inclined engaging faces. The bushing?v is provided with an interior inclined seat on which an annularl shoulder on a tubular termina-i member 8 is adapted to rest. Extending through the tubular member 8 is a rod 9 having an enlargement 10 resting upon an inclined scat Within the said tubular member. rThe tubular lmember has openings of considerable size immediately adjacent to the eniargement 10 in order to permit observation of the joint between the enlargement 10 and the tubular member 8.

We provide means for insuring intimate contact between the cover 4, the bushing 7,

the tubular member 8 and the enlargement .10 on the rod 9. In the embodiment of our invention shown in the drawing, such means vcomprises a porcelain bushingr 20 Vresting upon a shoulder on the tubular member 8, a washer' 21, of asbestos or other suitable slightly compressble material, andA a, steel a bushing 25 which surrounds the rod and is screwed into-the upper end of the tubular member;y 8. -The rod is surmountedby a. knob 26er other suitable turning means.-

Within the casing and suspendedffromv the rod 9 in a manner to be hereinafter described, is the electrode point 30 whichis joined to the end of a rod v31 by a connector 32. A sleeve 33 of quartz or other insulating material surrounds the rod 31 and the connectore32 and is supported upon a flange 5() on the connector 32. The rod 31 is hun 'from a forked support 10 which is attache by means of screws, to a bushing 41, and the bushing -11 surrounds a threaded bushing or nut 42 formed of graphite or other suitable anti-friction material in which a threaded sleeve or worm 43 is adapted to turn. The bushings 41 and 42 are prevented from rotation by'guides 44 that are fixed to a cap 45 which is screwed upon the bushing 41. guides 44 pass through-openings in a bushing 4G of carbon or other suitable material which is inclosed Within a support 47 atached to the inner end of the tubular mem- A pool of mercury, 60, is provided in the bottom of the casing, to serve 'asI the vnporizable electrode of the rectifier, and the electrode 30 is immersed in the mercury pool and withdrawn therefrom by the mechanism above described.

We provide 'means for preventing the disengagement of the threaded sleeve 43 and The of an enlargement 55 on the inner'end of the/sleeve 43 which is adapted to engage the bushing 41 yand limit its downward movement.

D irect current is supplied to the electrode from any convenient source through the tubular terminal member 8 by connections' which aifenot shown on'the drawing; Thus, current can reach the electrode 30 through the suspending and adjusting means which we have shown, 'but we preferto provide a free path or shunt for the current around the operating parts of the electrode support, thusavoiding roughenfing of the moving contact surfaces which' would result it' the full current passed between them. A suitable form of shunt is shown in Fig. 2 as a flexible conducting ribbon 52 that is fastened at one end 50 to the support 4:7 and at the other end 51 to the cap 45.

IIn the operation of our device, the electrodepoint 30 is first caused to be immersed .in 1 the mercury pool in the bottom of the casing and which constitutes the cathode of the rectifier. The knob 2G is then turned, to

rotate the sleeve 43 and cause the bushing 42 and the s upport40 to rise, thus lifting the electrode point 30 from the mercury pool and drawing the starting arc between these. electrodes.` Thereafter, lif the main arc is extinguished it may be restablished by turning the knob 26 slightly in the proper direction to lower the electrode point 3 0 and limmediately turning it 'back again. The electrode support is prevented by the en- Ilargementpr stop 55 from being screwed asupport fory the electrode, and a rod extending into the casingy froin the exterior thereof and having a screw-thread engagement with the said support.

A vapor electric 'device comprising a casing, an electrode and a support therefor within the casing, a rotatable rod extending into the casing from the exterior thereof and having screw-thread engagement with the support, and means for preventing rotation of the support.

A vapor electric device comprising a casing, an electrode and a supporttherefor within the casing, means engaging the 'support for adjusting its position, and means for preventing disengagement of the vsupport from the adjusting means.

i. A vapor electric device comprising a closed casing, an electrode and a support therefor within the casing, a rod extending into the casing from the exterior thereof, an externally threaded sleeve secured tothe inner end of the rod, and a nut iixed to the electrode support and engaging the said threaded sleeve. l

5. A vapor electricdevice comprising a closed casing, an electrode and a support therefor within the casing, a rod extending into the casing from the exterior thereof,

an externally threaded sleeve secured to the mner end of the rod, a nut fixed to the electrode'support and engagingr the saidthreaded sleeve. and meansv for preventingdisen-- gagement of the rod andthe support,

(i. A vapor electric device comprising a vacuum chamber, an electrode within the chamber, and means for manually varying the position ot the electrode, said means comprising a hanger for the electrode within the chamber, and electr'ode-operating means .projecting 'outsidcot' the chamber and in screw-thread engagement with the hanger. L

ln testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 28th day ot Jan.,

SIDNEY W. FARNSWORTL DAVID E. CARPENTER. LESLIE E. FROST. Vitnesses I D. C. DAVIS, B. B. HINEs. 

